East Cambridgeshire

East Cambridgeshire's population expanded in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and work life.

The population reached nearly 84,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of East Cambridgeshire increased by 14%, from just over 73,200 to 83,800.

The addition of just under 11,000 people means this area's population was the third-fastest-growing in Eastof England and increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, East Cambridgeshire was home to, on average, 0.92 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older East Cambridgeshire

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of East Cambridgeshire increased by one year, from 39 to 40 years.

This rural area had a slightly higher average age than Eastof England and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 2,800 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years.

About 16% of people in East Cambridgeshire are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and East Cambridgeshire by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in work life

East Cambridgeshire saw Eastof England's largest rise in the proportion of employed people.

In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (59%) people aged 16 to 74 in East Cambridgeshire said they were employed, compared with 58% in 2001. The percentage that were unemployed increased from 2.2% to 2.9%.

Across the region, Ipswich saw the next largest increase in the proportion of employed people (from 57% in 2001 to 58% in 2011).

During this period, East Cambridgeshire overtook seven local authority areas, including Chelmsford and East Hertfordshire, to become the Eastof England local authority area with the sixth-highest percentage of employed people.

The rate of employment was higher than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were employed across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in East Cambridgeshire

The number of people in East Cambridgeshire that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 11,000 in 2001 to about 24,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in East Cambridgeshire that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 55,000 in 2001 to just over 52,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 6,300 to about 6,600. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 8.7% to 7.9%.

Just under 370 people (0.2%) said they were Muslim, up from about 160 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in East Cambridgeshire increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and East Cambridgeshire by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in East Cambridgeshire

The percentage of East Cambridgeshire residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 7.2% to 6.8% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.1%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 2.4% in 2001. The percentage of East Cambridgeshire residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 90%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 6.9% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in East Cambridgeshire, but at a slower rate than across England.

In East Cambridgeshire, the proportion of private renting increased from 9.0% in 2001 to 13% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Across Eastof England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 15%.

The rate of social housing in East Cambridgeshire remained close to 14%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 73% to 69%.

Private renting in East Cambridgeshire increased by 4.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in East Cambridgeshire, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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